and I was originally going to upload this as my birthday special on February 25th, but I've been too busy to write anything lately. Thus, having gotten over some of last month's craze, I'd like to announce my return a week later with something a little different from my usual editorials.
I know I said in my debut blog I'd post monthly, but there are now topics I'd like to cover that don't necessarily require much writing. So, I'll sporadically post these "bonuses" in addition to my longer pieces. I currently don't have very many of these planned, but if there are any topics you'd like me to cover in a future piece, feel free to leave a comment below and/or tweet us at @FallenSnowStudios! They don't even have to be short enough for a bonus; you can also suggest ideas for editorials :)
Oh, and one last announcement before we dive into the nonexistent pools that are MC eyes: I'd like to take a poll on Twitter soon with a question prompt for our fans, which will be the basis for a future post! That's right; the post will be completely comprised of your answers and opinions, with absolutely no input from me. Keep your eyes peeled on Twitter for both the prompt and details on how the poll will work, deadlines, and all that jazz.
Finally, and without any further ado, let's break every bone in our bodies and wonder why we did that when we can clearly see no pools in the MC's eyeless face.
But for real; why homegirl got no eyes? And why is she always a brunette, for that matter?
I know I said in my debut blog I'd post monthly, but there are now topics I'd like to cover that don't necessarily require much writing. So, I'll sporadically post these "bonuses" in addition to my longer pieces. I currently don't have very many of these planned, but if there are any topics you'd like me to cover in a future piece, feel free to leave a comment below and/or tweet us at @FallenSnowStudios! They don't even have to be short enough for a bonus; you can also suggest ideas for editorials :)
Oh, and one last announcement before we dive into the nonexistent pools that are MC eyes: I'd like to take a poll on Twitter soon with a question prompt for our fans, which will be the basis for a future post! That's right; the post will be completely comprised of your answers and opinions, with absolutely no input from me. Keep your eyes peeled on Twitter for both the prompt and details on how the poll will work, deadlines, and all that jazz.
Finally, and without any further ado, let's break every bone in our bodies and wonder why we did that when we can clearly see no pools in the MC's eyeless face.
But for real; why homegirl got no eyes? And why is she always a brunette, for that matter?
DISCLAIMER: To be honest, MC being a brunette is the main reason I wanted to talk about this on my birthday, seeing as yours truly is also a brunette ;)
Not only does it look totally jarring, but the intent behind it also doesn't make much sense. Now, many of us are used to it by now - heck, some of us even like the idea of MC having no eyes. But that's because not a lot of people take issue with iconic appearances in games to begin with.
For the most part, we accept what characters look like, regardless of our personal feelings towards them. But the problem is when a developer claims that a particular design is meant to represent everyone of a certain demographic.
Such is the case with MC; without eyes, players (presumably females) are symbolically able to see her world through their own eyes. You do see this with male characters, but not nearly as often. Why don't more bishoujo games feature the trope?
Anyway, the point I want to make is that this is a pointless design choice, because MC nevertheless has an established look even without eyes. She's pale-skinned, thin, and a brunette. How is that representative of all females who might be playing these games? How does this take into account non-straight people? I only bring this up since we're going by dev logic.
What drives me up the wall even more is when some avatars in-game (depending on the game in question) show the MC with eyes. Fantastic work! Now can we see those sparklers elsewhere in the game?
Truth be told, this causes more of a disconnect between player and game than it does a bond. People are much more likely to relate to characters that feel real to them, than to stock avatars that are purposely made bland so as to not impose a made-up personality onto the player.
Either complete the character design, or give the player some options to create their own avatars. It's not rocket science, guys.
~ Milica M. "Mimo"
Not only does it look totally jarring, but the intent behind it also doesn't make much sense. Now, many of us are used to it by now - heck, some of us even like the idea of MC having no eyes. But that's because not a lot of people take issue with iconic appearances in games to begin with.
For the most part, we accept what characters look like, regardless of our personal feelings towards them. But the problem is when a developer claims that a particular design is meant to represent everyone of a certain demographic.
Such is the case with MC; without eyes, players (presumably females) are symbolically able to see her world through their own eyes. You do see this with male characters, but not nearly as often. Why don't more bishoujo games feature the trope?
Anyway, the point I want to make is that this is a pointless design choice, because MC nevertheless has an established look even without eyes. She's pale-skinned, thin, and a brunette. How is that representative of all females who might be playing these games? How does this take into account non-straight people? I only bring this up since we're going by dev logic.
What drives me up the wall even more is when some avatars in-game (depending on the game in question) show the MC with eyes. Fantastic work! Now can we see those sparklers elsewhere in the game?
Truth be told, this causes more of a disconnect between player and game than it does a bond. People are much more likely to relate to characters that feel real to them, than to stock avatars that are purposely made bland so as to not impose a made-up personality onto the player.
Either complete the character design, or give the player some options to create their own avatars. It's not rocket science, guys.
~ Milica M. "Mimo"
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